Blogging the Latino Workforce

The War for Talent

Today, I had the opportunity to attend the “The War for Talent in the Workplace: The Next 24 Months!” webcast sponsored by the Center for Hispanic Leadership (@HispanicTalent) and IBM. An excellent organization. Featured were Glenn Llopis, CEO for the Center for Hispanic Leadership, Andres Tapia (@AndresTTapia), Chief Diversity Office at Hewittt Associates, and Andrea White, Chief Privacy Officer for Toyota Motor Sales.

The webcast included a lot of great information regarding the importance of leadership, talent, diversity, and Latinos in the workplace. Central to the discussion was the idea of the ‘new normal’ or what Andres Tapia termed an “upside down world.” To compete and survive in this new environment, panelists suggested organizations learn to solve new dilemmas with new approaches to thinking. Similar to what I suggested in a post yesterday regarding diversity of thought, organizations must be able to tap all their talent to succeed in business environment that is increasingly global and fluid.

Part of this transformation includes developing Hispanic talent. Unfortunately, it was apparent from the discussion that most organizations either are not doing so or don’t know how. Panelists stressed that organizations should leverage innate Hispanic cultural characteristics that make Hispanics excellent employees. By understanding and developing these traits, companies will not only foster the development of Hispanic talent but ultimately improve their bottom line.